A Conversation with Tamara Miner
CTO at Climate Policy Radar
As CTO at Climate Policy Radar, Tamara Miner has built a career spanning infrastructure, cloud technology, engineering leadership, and organisational transformation. From building servers and working in data centres to leading teams and shaping technology strategy, her career has been driven by curiosity, adaptability and a strong focus on people.
We spoke to Tamara about her path into technology, what leadership means to her and why empathy, inclusion and critical thinking matter more than ever in engineering.
“I’ve always been curious about how things work”
How did your journey into technology begin?
Technology was always around me while I was growing up. My aunt and uncle were very into tech, and they used to give us their hand-me-down computers in the late 80s and early 90s. By the time I was in high school, I was building my own computers and replacing parts myself.
I remember doing a presentation at school where I documented building a computer, and one of the boys in the class said, “But you’re a girl.” That stayed with me. It made me want to prove that I absolutely belonged in those spaces.
At university, I changed majors a few times. I started in mechanical engineering, then moved into languages because I wanted to become fluent in Mandarin and Spanish. Eventually, I realised I had missed the technical side, so I ended up double majoring in International Studies and Information Systems.
That combination of technology and people ended up shaping my career.
Learning Through Infrastructure and Scale
Your early career involved a lot of infrastructure and systems engineering. What did that teach you?
My internships were all on the IT side. I worked at Comcast in their main data centre, expanding servers and working directly with infrastructure. It was very hands-on and gave me a strong understanding of the physical side of technology.
Later, when I joined Microsoft, I worked on what became SQL Azure. I was there during the early days of large-scale cloud infrastructure, which was an incredible experience.
There was a huge shift happening internally at the time. Traditional release cycles were moving towards more agile ways of working, and many teams were resistant to that change. Being part of that transformation taught me a lot about collaboration, communication and organisational change.
It also taught me the importance of continuing to learn. I saw people who had become very set in their ways, and I realised early on that I never wanted to stop growing or adapting.
Leading Technology at Climate Policy Radar
What does your role as CTO involve today?
A large part of my role is about people, collaboration, and helping teams work together effectively.
At Climate Policy Radar, we’re working with large volumes of climate policy and related data, helping to make information more accessible and easier to navigate. The work itself feels meaningful because it’s connected to real-world impact.
From a leadership perspective, my focus is on creating an environment where people can do their best work, where teams collaborate effectively, and where individuals feel supported in their growth.
I think technology leadership is often viewed as purely technical, but a huge amount of the role is about communication, trust, and helping people succeed together.
“Happy developers write happy code”
How would you describe your leadership style?
Empathy is a huge part of it.
I genuinely believe that happy developers write happy code. People produce better work when they feel supported, trusted and empowered.
I also think leadership should be adaptable. Different situations and different people require different approaches. I’ve never believed in purely top-down leadership. I want people to understand why decisions are being made and feel involved in the process.
One of the most rewarding parts of leadership for me has been helping people see potential in themselves that they hadn’t yet recognised. I’ve worked with people who didn’t believe they could become managers or leaders, and seeing them grow into those roles has been one of the most fulfilling parts of my career.
Challenging Bias in the Industry
You’ve spoken openly about bias in technology. Why is that important to you? Because I’ve experienced it throughout my career.
Sometimes it was obvious, and sometimes it was much more subtle, but those experiences shaped how I approach leadership and hiring today.
I care a lot about building fair hiring processes and creating environments where people are evaluated based on their skills and contributions rather than on whether they fit a certain mould.
The best teams are made up of people with different perspectives and different ways of thinking. That diversity creates stronger ideas, better collaboration and ultimately better outcomes.
I’ve also spent a lot of time helping teams understand bias and improve hiring processes because I think those conversations are important. People need space to ask questions, learn and improve.
Redefining Success
How has your definition of success changed over time?
Early in my career, success was very tied to titles, pay and the companies I worked for.
Over time, that changed. Success became much more about impact, values and the people I work with.
I realised I wanted my work to align more closely with what I care about personally and the kind of impact I want to have. That was a big part of what drew me towards more purpose-driven work.
Now, success feels much more connected to building strong teams, supporting people and contributing to work that feels meaningful.
The Importance of Curiosity
What skills have had the biggest impact on your career?
Curiosity has probably been the most important.
I’ve always asked questions and tried to understand how systems, teams and organisations work before jumping to conclusions. I think that mindset has helped me throughout my career.
Another important skill is learning how to communicate effectively across different audiences. A big part of leadership is translating complexity, helping people align and making sure everyone understands the bigger picture.
I also think adaptability matters a lot. Technology changes constantly, and being willing to learn, evolve and rethink things is incredibly important.
Advice for Women in Technology
What advice would you give to women building careers in tech today? Be intentional about your growth and advocate for yourself.
A lot of women wait until they feel fully ready before pursuing opportunities, but growth often happens before you feel completely prepared.
I also think it’s important to set boundaries and define success for yourself rather than following someone else’s version.
And finally, stay curious. Curiosity, openness to learning and the willingness to keep evolving have shaped every stage of my career.
